On My Dying Breath
by HuntingStarlight
Summary: Percy Jackson is dead. Nico Di Angelo is alive. Yet, he feels that he should've paid that price, and died in the line of fire. Dealing with the guilt of death is never easy, but when you know that someone paid your price, it weighs heavily on your heart and soul. Finding closure is something you'll never find on your dying breath.


Nico Di Angelo saw it all happen. And yet, he could do nothing about it. The storm Percy was creating was simply too much for the son of Hades to bear. He knew that if he tried to enter the storm that surrounded the battle that was occurring between the son of Poseidon and Gaia, he would be killed before he even got within five feet of the earth goddess and the son of the sea god. But he pushed on, through the storm, unaware, and unseeing. A suddenly, he was thrown back, out of the storm, and the ground rumbled, and shook. An ear piercing scream tore through the air, and the storm was broken, and Gaia was nowhere to be found. The members of the Argo II were far away in the other part of the glade, still fighting the last wave of monsters. But Percy lay on the ground, blood seeping through a wound in his chest. Picking the son of Poseidon up, Nico slung Percy's arm over his shoulder as the older boy's breathing became labored and short.

"Don't you dare die on me like that Jackson, DON'T YOU EVEN DARE!" Nico yelled. Desperation laced it's way through his voice as the son of Hades walked along the rocky ground, until he dropped the son of Poseidon, unable to carry the demigod any further, and cried over his body, the streaks of blood becoming tainted with tears.

"You can't just die like this Jackson!" Nico choked on his salty tears. "You…you CAN'T… You're the son of Poseidon after all… after all… you can't just-" Nico trailed off, tears flowing down his olive cheeks as memories of what Percy had done, and how many close brushes with death he had had. Suddenly a thought struck him. "Poseidon… maybe water will-" Nico cut himself off, and turned to look around them for a source of water, even a puddle, and had begun to despair, when his eyes stopped on a crystal clear lake surrounded by smooth white pebbles. Grunting, he hauled the unconscious demigod over to the shore of the lake where watery waves lapped softly at his feet as he placed him gingerly into the clear water. He crouched in the shallow water next to Percy and begun to speak.

"Just… let it work," He whispered, as he turned his head skywards to face the sun, "Poseidon… and… Dad. Please, I know you can do it… I'll do anything." And with that, tears began to rush down the son of Hades face like a waterfall as he turned to look at the demigod of Poseidon before him.

"And you, asshole don't even-… don't even dare giving up so easily. Your girlfriend… Annabeth. Annabeth is waiting for you to come back right?" Nico's voice rose in volume as he yelled at Percy, rage filling him as he stared at Percy's unmoving body. But the son of Poseidon just floated, his soul having left his body just moments before. Nico could feel even more tears welling up, as he realized that the son of Poseidon no longer walked upon this earth.

"Why," He whispered, feeling even more alone than he had felt when he was told that Bianca had died, "Why doesn't it work? Why?" Wiping salty tears off of his cheeks, Nico picked Percy up, and slung his body over both his shoulders as he made his way to the dusty glade where the Argo II was docked. Dust swirled around the son of Hades as he walked towards the Argo II. Waiting for their return outside of the ship were Hazel and Annabeth, and as Hazel whipped her head around, she cried,

"Nico! Thank gods you're alive-" But she was cut off by Nico's pain filled gaze, as it shot from the dusty ground to his half-sister's curly cinnamon hair and luminescent golden eyes. She clapped her hands over her mouth, her eyes filling with tears as she took in the sight of Percy's limp lifeless body slung over Nico's shoulders. "Oh. Oh gods." Her voice was small as Annabeth spun around, pupils small, and she said,

"Percy… is he…" She trailed off as the son of Hades nodded a tearful _yes_, and set down the broken body of her boyfriend, Percy Jackson on the ground before her feet, and she knelt down, and placed her head on his bloodied body and wept, anguish taking hold of the daughter of Athena. And the trio wept, mourning the lost life of a hero. Soon, Jason, Piper, Leo, and Frank came running off of the Argo II, and they too mourned the loss of the son of Poseidon, Percy Jackson.

Two days later, Nico felt like an idiot as he stepped off of the anchored Argo II, into the forest before him. Nico couldn't believe that he hadn't thought of this earlier. The wind swirled around him as he stuttered,

"P-Percy Jackson." A familiar raven haired, boy appeared in the swirling wind, and Nico took in the scent of the sea that always followed Percy wherever he went. The ghost cracked its eyes open, confusion flittering across his handsome features as it said,

"What?" Then Percy's eyes fell on the silent son of Hades before him, and said, "Oh." Remorse glittered in his words, his tone soft and filled with grief. His expression was pitiful, extreme sadness gripping it tight. "You…?" The statement seemed more like a question as Percy stared at his hand with wonder. Nico looked up from his shoes and replied,

"Yeah. But not for long." Percy turned his head away, ashamed.

"You know…" He mused, "With all the stuff happening, I didn't really think I would _actually_ die." Nico fought the urge to laugh.

"Why am I not surprised?" He asked. Percy turned away from him again, depression clouding his face once more.

"How… How's Annabeth? And the others?" Percy's voice was like broken glass, and Nico could tell that the "brave leader" mask Percy usually hid behind was crumbling slowly. But the son of Hades still glared at the ghost, anger returning to his body once more.

"It's been two days," He growled. "How do you think they are?" Nico saw Percy's bottom lip begin to tremble, as ghostly tears welled up in the ghost's sea green eyes. There was a long silence, and Percy's gaze returned to the grass on the ground. He stared ahead, and said,

"Thank you, by the way." Nico looked down at his shoes.

"What for?" He replied, not meeting the hero's eyes. Percy rubbed the back of his head.

"For bringing my body, back to the others and all…" He stopped, unsure of how to say the next reason. "And…" He smiled sadly and sheepishly. "I guess sorry for making you hate me so much." He whipped his head away from the younger demigods, an unreadable look washing over his face. Nico's head whipped up in surprise, shock grabbing his features.

"H-hate you?" He stuttered. Percy's eyes began to mist again, pain and shame flitting across his face.

"Yeah." He replied. "I mean… for Bianca." He hunched his shoulders. "And for Annabeth probably too. For making you make that promise. The way I treated you. Lots of things." Percy's head sunk lower with each statement, until it hung on his chest, the demigod no longer able to look the younger demigod in the eye. Nico's body trembled as he clenched his fist, and he gritted his teeth.

"I- I didn't _hate_ you." The Hero of Olympus's sea green gaze shot up, shock clouding it.

"You didn't?" He exclaimed. "I thought-" Nico cut him off.

"Well of course you thought!" He yelled. "You're stupid." Shock was still rippling through Percy's eyes, like waves through the ocean as he stared at the raging son of Hades. "Why do you think anyone would even _want_ to promise to risk their life for someone they _hate?_ It doesn't make any sense!" Percy stared at the shorter demigod and explained,

"I-I guess I thought you promised to lead them to the doors for Anna-" Nico cut him off again, and yelled,

" It has _nothing_ to do with her! He swung his arm in a violent motion, as if he thought that he was cutting any other thoughts Percy was going to say off. "I promised it to_ you_, not Annabeth." He muttered. Then, he whispered just loud enough for Percy to hear, "_You_." Percy just floated there, confusion evident in his eyes. "I… didn't _hate_ you." Nico gritted his teeth. "I hated _myself_ for not hating you the way I should have…even after Bianca. I still…" Percy stared as the son of Hades turned away from him.

_'Its all the complete opposite…'_ He thought.

"Now I have nothing to lose anyway," Nico said, bracing himself for Percy to share his disgust. "So whatever. My horrible secrets are out either way." Nico could feel Percy's gaze burning into his back, until the son of Poseidon said,

"I…I am not sure I understood it correctly…" Nico turned around to see the son of Poseidon bitting his thumb in confusion, which was kinda cute. Gritting his teeth, for what seemed like the thousandth time that day, he said,

"What is the opposite of hate, Jackson?"

"Love!" Percy exclaimed, his arms crossed over his chest. The he began to think, and Nico could just see the downloading sign above his head. Then he blushed light pink, (which was also a little bit cute, Nico had to admit,) and said, "Oh." Nico felt like facepalming.

"Seriously? All I get is one pathetic, oh?"

Percy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, and replied,

"Ha ha ha. But it's not like it really changes anything no that I'm…" He trailed off, and Nico's eyes dropped to the ground again.

"One more question. Will you choose Elysium, or rebirth?" The son of Poseidon stared at the son of Hades, his sea green gaze burning into Nico's eyes. Then he laughed, and it was a boisterous sound, filled with happiness.

"Bustin' out the hard questions, huh? To be honest, I was never the over-ambitious type… I never asked to be a hero, you know? Being with you guys… was more important. Besides…" He grinned down at the son of Hades, his smile shy and soft.

"I can't get reborn. Not if it means leaving Annabeth for good." Nico stared at the ground, realization filling him. The son of the sea was always going to put the people he loved before him, whether he was dead or alive. He paused in hesitation.

"That's just like you. You're the one who's dead, but you're still thinking of her first…" Anger filled the son of Hades, flooding him fast, and drowning him it the bitter, yet familiar feeling.

"If you really cared about her happiness, then why didn't you just let Gaia kill me? It should've been me. That would have been the better outcome. No one would mourn the son of Hades." He spat the words out of his mouth, in a tome that was harsh and bitter. Shock covered Percy's features, and he cried out,

"Nico, that's not-"

But the demigod plowed on.

"Oh, maybe they'd be sad for a few days… but then they'd move on. But you… but you…

_There's no moving on from you, Percy Jackson."_

Anger and indignation reveled upon the ghost demigod's face.

"Nico, listen, that's not-" He flickered, and fear fluttered in Percy's chest. Nico looked up, forlorn.

"I can't hold you here much longer. Any final requests?" His voice was small, his posture meek.

The answer was reluctant, but the voice that it rode upon was joking and light. The said person smiled, his eyes crinkling with laughter once more.

"…Sure. Tell everyone that my funeral better not suck." His voice grew softer, and the laughter and joy faded from his eyes, and was replaced with an expression that could only be named as sorrow, and pain.

"Tell Annabeth and my mom… that I love them. And that I'm sorry. And Nico… I saved your life because I wanted to. Got it?" A weak smile flickered on his fading face. "So, don't you waste it…" Nodding, the son of Hades wept silently, tears trickling down his face, mouth trembling, forcing himself not to sob and cry out in despair. And the son of Poseidon vanished, leaving Nico alone to cry.


End file.
